Housing for indicating lamp or other electrical components



H. RUEGER March 18, 1969 HQUSING FOR INDICATING LAMP OR OTHER ELECTRICALCOMPONENTS Sheet Original Filed 061. 14, 1964 INVENTOR. 52ml: 'RuEG-ERMarch 18, 1969 H. RUEGER 3,434,137

HOUSING FOR INDICATING LAMP OR OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OriginalFiled Oct. 14, 1964 Sheet of 2 INVENTOR. HERMAN 'Russulz WIM UnitedStates Patent 3,434,137 HOUSING FOR INDICATING LAMP OR OTHER ELECTRICALCOMPONENTS Herman Rueger, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated,Harrisburg, Pa.

Continuation of application Ser. No. 403,789, Oct. 14,

1964. This application Sept. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 667,860 US. Cl. 340381Claims Int. Cl. G091? 9/14 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A unitary panellight and housing therefor, the housing being adapted to be readilyinserted and removed from various size mounting apertures through theprovision of axially tapered ribs around the periphery. The lamp leadsare provided with separator and strain relief means.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 403,789,filed October 14, 1964, and now abanboned.

This invention relates to lamp housings adapted preferably to be mountedon a mounting means, such as a panel in which indicating lamps or othersuitable electrical components are mounted.

The use of indicating lamps, especially in small form, due tominiaturization and other features, has become increasingly important inmany fields, such as, testing, appliance, communication, automotive,computer, control, etc., in order to provide an indication for variousconditions or functions.

In view of the low cost for the production of panel lights, it isdesirable that the indicating lamp and, if necessary, a resistortherefor be confined within the housing therefor to define a unitarystructure so that a faulty panel light can readily be replaced by a newpanel light. It is also desirable when replacing a faulty panel lightthat the panel light be readily removable from a panel and easily bereplaced by a new panel light which is readily inserted into theaperture of a mounting panel without the aid of any tools.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a housing for anindicating lamp which is small in size and not bulky and which isadapted to be utilized in a small space.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a unitary anellight which can be easily mounted on various size mounting means withoutthe use of any tools.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a panel light asa unitary structure which is cheap to manufacture, rugged inconstruction, long lasting and readily replaceable.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a combinedinsulator for insulating the leads of the indicating lamp from eachother and strain relief means for the external leads connected to theleads of the indicating lamp.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings inwhich there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of theinvention; it is to be understood, howeve that these embodiments are notintended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but are givenfor purposes of illustration and principles thereof and the manner ofapplying them in practical use so that they may modify them in variousforms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the housing and componentsthereof;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the housing with parts explodedtherefrom;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but with the parts of the housingin place therein;

FIGURE 3:: is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing a modificationthereof;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the assembled panel light and a meansto secure the separator and strain relief means within the housingmember;

FIGURE 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of an alternative embodimentof the present invention;

FIGURE 5a: is a partial cross-sectional view of a lens member in placewithin the housing member;

FIGURE 6 is a bottom view of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURES 7A-E are partial side elevational views of differentconfigurations of the lens members of the housing.

The present invention will be described in connection with an indicatinglamp; however, it is to be understood that other electrical componentscan be housed therein, such as, switches, thermistors, photocells, etc.

Turning now to the drawings and more particularly FIGURES 1-3, there isillustrated a hollow tubular housing member 1 which is preferably moldedfrom a suitable plastic material, such as, nylon, polypropylene, etc.Housing member 1 is a unitary structure and is closed at one end by alens member 2 which has a substantially flat outer surface and acylindrical sidewall. An annular flange 3 extends outwardly from housingmember 1 at the inner end of lens member 2. A plurality of ribs 4 extendoutwardly from the exterior surface of housing member 1 from flange 3 toa point along housing member 1 where they merge therewith and have thesame diameter thereof. Ribs 4 are preferably 3 in number, i.e., 3, 6, 9,etc., in equally-spaced relationship around the exterior of housingmember 1.

As can be discerned from FIGURES 2 and 3, each rib 4 has anupwardly-inclined portion 4' having an upwardly-directed curvature awayfrom flange 3 to its highest point and a downwardly tapered portion 4"which tapers away therefrom toward the axis of housing member 1 until itmerges with the exterior surface of the housing member. Theconfiguration of each rib 4 is important in that upwardly-inclinedportion 4' has a radius of curvature extending from the tangent of therib to its junction with flange 3 which, at this point, is the samediameter as that of housing member 1. Downwardlytapered portion '4" islinear extending from the tangent of rib 4 until it merges with housingmember 1.

The configuration of the ribs is important because downwardly-taperedportions 4" allow the housing mem ber to be easily inserted within anaperture of a mounting panel and the smooth curvature at the apex of theribs between upwardly-directed portions 4 and downwardlytapered portions4" allow the edges of the aperture in the mounting panel to tightlyengage the ribs until flange 3 engages one surface of the mountingpanel, thereby effecting a forced fit between the housing member and theaperture in the mounting panel.

Another important feature of ribs 4 is that various thicknesses ofmounting panels can be utilized because of the smooth curvature betweenupwardly-inclined portions 4' and downwardly-tapered portions 4" of theribs. Thus, ribs 4 provide an excellent holding means for housing member1 in an aperture of a mounting member of various thicknesses.

If desired, some of ribs 4 may be set back from flange 3 a slightdistance, as illustrated in FIGURE 30, and this arrangement wouldaccommodate mounting panels of greater thickness.

A separator and strain relief means 5 is preferably molded from the samematerial of housing member -1 and is adapted to fit within housingmember 1 and be secured thereto. Separator and strain relief means 5includes a separator part 6 and a strain relief part 7. Separator part 6has a first section 8 and a second section 9; section 8 being thickerthan section 9. The sides of section 8 incline inwardly to the mid-pointthereof while the sides of section 9 are flat. Recess 10 is located inthe outer part of section 9. Strain relief part 7 in circular inconfiguration and includes diametrical semicircular recesses 11 and 12,which terminate at about two-thirds of the thickness of part 7. AU-shaped opening 13 is disposed in part 7 in alignment with recesses 11and 12, respectively, and is in communication with these recesses andseparator part 6.

A light bulb assembly comprises light bulb 14 having one lead 15 crimpedonto the core of an insulated lead 16 by means of a ferrule member 17.Lead 18 of light bulb 14 is soldered or welded onto a lead of aconventional resistor 19 while the other lead thereof is crimped ontothe conductive core of another insulated lead 16 via a ferrule member17.

The light bulb assembly is mounted onto means 5 With the base of lightbulb 14 being disposed within recess 10 while lead 15 extends along theside of section 9 and ferrule member 17 is disposed adjacent theinclined surfaces of one side of section 8. The core of lead 16 isdisposed within U-shaped opening 13 while the insulation of lead 16 isdisposed within recess 11. Lead 18 and resistor 19 extend along theother side of section 9 while ferrule member 17 is disposed adjacent theother inclined surfaces of section 8 and the conductive core of lead 16is disposed within U-shaped opening 13 while the insulation of lead 16is disposed within recess 12, as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Now that the light assembly has been mounted onto means 5, it is readyto be disposed within housing member 1 and this is accomplished bymerely pushing this assembly within housing member 1, as illustrated inFIG- URE 3. The interior surface of the end of housing member 1 oppositelens 2 is beveled to facilitate the insertion of the light assembly andmeans 5 within housing mem-- her 1. As can be seen from FIGURE 3,section 9 of separator part 6 is disposed at an angle with respect tothe longitudinal axis of housing member 1 because of the fact thatresistor 19 takes up a considerable amount of space within housingmember 1. Thus, the flexibility of section 9 of separator part 6 enablesresistor element 19 to be readily accommodated within housing member 1without having to increase the diameter of housing member 1.

Since the light assembly and means 5 are now disposed within housingmember 1, means 5 is now ready to be secured to housing member '1. Thisis preferably accomplished as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The end ofhousing member 1 containing means 5 is disposed within a substantiallystationary anvil 20 having a semicircular recess 21 disposed thereinwhich is provided with an outwardlydirected projection 22 at the bottomthereof. Leads 16 are disposed on each side of projection 22 so thatprojection 22 is in alignment with the continuous circular surface ofpart 7 of the separator and strain relief means. A movable horn 23having a similar shaped recess and projection is brought into engagementwith the other half of housing member 1 in alignment with anvil 20 andan ultrasonic generating means (not shown) is connected to horn 23. Uponenergization of the ultrasonic generating means, born 23 is vibrated ata frequency of about twentythousand cycles per second and this causesmeans 5 to be bonded or welded to the interior surface of housing member1, thereby providing a confined panel light assembly. If desired, anvil20 may be elastically mounted so that it can vibrate in sympathy withhorn 23. Thus, means 5 is welded to the interior of housing member 1along the edges of section 8 in engagement with housing member 1 andalong the semicircular surfaces of part 7 in engagement with housingmember 1. The welding together of plastic parts by ultrasonic techniquesis conventional and equipment therefor can be obtained through BransonInstruments Incorporated, Stamford, Conn., or others in the field. Whilethe use of ultrasonic waves to weld the plastic parts together is thepreferred technique, other techniques for securing plastic partstogether may, of course, be utilized, such as, for example, heat-sealingtechniques, deformations of plastics, etc.

Now that the light assembly is secured within housing member 1 via means5, ferrule members 17 cannot be pulled out through U-shaped openings 13because they are larger than these openings, and leads 16 cannot bepushed through U-shaped openings 13 because the insulation thereof islarger than these openings so that part 7 acts as a strain relief meansto prevent light bulb 14 from being pushed closer towards lens 2 whichcould cause breakage of the light bulb or a short circuit to occurbetween leads 15 and 18 and to prevent leads 16 from being pulled out ofconnection with leads 15 and 18 of the light bulb. A slight play isdesirable between means 5 and the insulation of leads 16 and ferrulemembers 17 within openings 13. Since the insulation of leads 16 isdisposed within recesses 11 and 12, no bare wire of these leads at thehousing member appears exteriorly thereof.

In the embodiment described hereinabove, housing member 1 may be moldedin any desirable color because lens 2 is integral with housing member 1.The inside surface of lens 2 may be serrated, have concentric circularrecesses or have any desirable configuration in order to provide thedesired dispersion of light emanating from light bulb 14. The presentinvention has been described in conjunction with a neon light bulb;however, the present invention is equally applicable to the use of anincandescent light bulb or the like.

While lens 2 has been disclosed as being integral with housing member 1,it is within the purview of the present invention that housing member 1can be a straight tu bular member and that lens structure 2 can be aseparate structure having a depending tubular structure slidable over orwithin housing member 1 and secured thereto as by ultrasonic welding asdescribed hereinabove. The depending tubular structure of the lensstructure or the housing member may be provided with the holding ribs,as desired.

FIGURES 7A-D illustrate various configurations of the lens structurewith the housing member of FIGURES 7A-C having the holding ribs disposedon the housing member while the side surface of the lens structure ofFIGURE 7D has the holding ribs disposed thereon instead of on thehousing member; however, holding ribs may also be disposed on the lensstructure as well as the housing member as illustrated by FIGURE 7B.Thus, the housing member of FIGURES 7A-C and E hold the lens structurein place within an aperture of a mounting member, whereas the lensstructure of FIGURE 7D holds the housing member in place within anaperture of a mounting member. If desired, the lens end of the housingmember may be open instead of having a surface thereover, and, in thiscase, holding ribs may be disposed on either side or both sides of theflange.

FIGURES 5, 5a and 6 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention. The end of housing member 1' adjacent ribs 4 has aninwardly-directed flange 24 on the interior surface thereof. A pluralityof rib elements or projections 25 are disposed on the inner surface ofhousing member 1' and these rib elements extend from flange 24 along theinner surface of housing member 1 to a point where they merge with theinner surface of housing member 1'. Each rib element 25 extendsoutwardly from the inner surface of housing member 1 the same heightalong the inner surface to a point at which the rib tapers inwardlytoward the inner surface and merges therewith, as illustrated in FIGURE5. The height of each rib element 25 is less than the dimension offlange 24. A lens disc 26 having a diameter slightly less than the innerdiameter of housing member 1 but slightly larger than the height of ribelements 25 and having a thickness slightly less than the length of therib elements from flange 24 to the point at which they begin to taper isinserted through the bottom of housing member 1 and pressed along ribelements 25 until the top surface of the lens disc seats against flange24. Rib elements 25 will be squashed almost to flatness by the lens discand the part of each rib element 25 adjacent the bottom surface of thelens disc will form a slight lip, as illustrated in FIGURE 5a, whichextends inwardy towards the longitudinal axis of the housing member andin engagement with the bottom surface of the lens disc. Thus, the lensdisc is securely held in position by rib elements 25 and flange 24. Inthis arrangement, housing member 1' may be one color and lens disc 26may be another color.

As can be discerned, there has been disclosed a unique housing memberfor a panel light wherein the light means is encapsulated therein todefine a unitary structure for being removably mounted within anaperture of a mounting panel.

I claim:

1. A housing member for securing an electrical element having lead meanstherein comprising a hollow tubular member, a separator andstrain-relief means including a separator part and strain-relief part,said electrical element being adapted to be disposed on said separatorpart with lead means extending along each side thereof to separate thelead means from one another, means for connecting each of said leadmeans to conductive means of an insulated lead means with saidconnecting means being spaced from the end of insulation of saidinsulated lead means to allow some of said conductive means to be bare,said strain-relief part having recesses each for receiving the end ofthe insulation of one of the insulated lead means therein and openingseach in communication with one of said recesses and said separator partfor receiving the bared part of one of said insulated lead means, saidopenings being too small for the connecting means and the insulation ofsaid insulated lead means to pass through, said connecting means adaptedto be disposed adjacent one side of said openings and the end of theinsulation of said insulated lead means adapted to be disposed on theother side of said openings, said separator and strain-relief meansalong with said electrical element connected to said insulated leadmeans adapted to be inserted in and secured to said tubular member toform a unitary structure.

2. A panel lamp for insertion in an aperture of a panel means comprisinga hollow tubular housing member having one end through which light is tobe transmitted, a flange extending outwardly from an exterior surface ofsaid housing member, rib members on the exterior surface of said housingmember, each rib member including an upwardly-inclined portion having aradius of curvature extending from a tangent of the rib member to aposition adjacent said flange and a downwardly-tapered portion extendingfrom said tangent to the housing member, said flange andupwardly-inclined portions of some or all of the rib members beingadapted to hold said housing member in said aperture of said panel meanswith said flange engaging one surface of said panel means and theupwardly-inclined portions engaging sections of the aperture, andseparator and strain-relief means including a separator part forcarrrying a light means and for separating leads of said light meansfrom each other and a strain-relief part through which external leadspass and are held captive therein for providing strain-relief betweenthe external leads and connecting means connecting said leads of saidlight means thereto, said separator and strain-relief means with saidlight means connected to said external leads thereon adapted to besecured in said housing member.

3. A panel lamp according to claim 2 wherein some rib members are spacedfurther form said flange than other rib members to provide a holdingarrangement to accommodate panel means of a greater range of thickness.

4. A panel lamp according to claim 2 wherein the end of said housingmember through which light is to be transmitted includes a flange memberdirected toward the axis of said housing member, rib elements on aninternal surface of said housing member, each rib element extending froma point adjacent said flange member to a point remote therefrom at whichthe rib element merges with the internal surface, a lens structureadapted to be pushed along said rib elements and into engagement withsaid flange member with said rib elements frictionally holding said lensstructure in position.

5. A panel lamp according to claim 2 wherein said separator andstrain-relief means is secured to said housing member via theapplication of ultrasonic means.

6. A panel lamp according to claim 2 wherein the strain-relief part ofsaid separator and strain-relief means includes recesses in whichinsulation of said external leads is disposed.

7. A panel lamp for insertion within an aperture of a panel meanscomprising a hollow tubular housing member, lens means located at oneend of said housing member, a flange extending outwardly from anexterior surface of said housing member adjacent said lens means, ribmembers on the exterior surface of said housing member, each rib memberincluding an upwardly-inclined portion having a radius of curvatureextending from a tangent of the rib member to a point adjacent saidflange and a downwardly-tapered portion extending from said tangent tothe housing member, said flange and upwardly-inclined portions of someor all of the rib members being adapted to hold said housing member insaid aperture of said panel means with said flange engaging one surfaceof said panel means and some or all of the upwardly-inclined portionsengaging sections of said aperture, and separator and strain-reliefmeans including a separator part for carrying a light bulb and forseparating leads of said light bulb and external leads connected theretoand a strain-relief part through which the external leads pass and areheld captive therein, said separator and strain-relief means carryingsaid light bulb and leads connected thereto adapted to be insertedwithin and secured to said housing member with said light bulb facingsaid lens means.

8. A panel lamp according to claim 7 wherein additional rib membershaving the same configuration as the first-mentioned rib members aredisposed along an exterior side surface of said lens means.

9. A panel lamp comprising a hollow tubular housing member having oneend provided with lens means through which light is to be transmittedfrom an indicating light, mounting means on said housing member formounting said panel lamp on a panel means, a separator and strainreliefmember having a separator part and a strain-relief part, said separatorpart having an area for carrying an indicating light and a section forinsulatingly separating electrical leads of said indicating light andexternal leads connected thereto, said strain-relief part having spacedopenings through which the external leads pass and are held captivetherein, said separator and strain-relief means carrying said indicatinglight and leads connected thereto being insertable within the other endof said housing member and securable to said housing member with saidindicating light facing said lens means.

10. A housing member for carrying a light-conducting member and forinsertion into an aperture of a panel means comprising a hollow tubularmember having integral lens means at one end, a flange extendingoutwardly from an exterior surface of said tubular member adjacent saidlens means, rib members on the exterior surface of said housing memberand extending therealong from a point adjacent said flange to a pointwhere they merge therewith, each rib member including anupwardlyinclined portion having a radius of curvature from a tangent ofthe rib member to the tubular member and a linear downwardly-taperedportion from said tangent to the housing member, said flange beingadapted to engage one surface of said panel means when said housingmember is inserted within the aperture and some or all of theupwardly-inclined portions of the rib members along said radius ofcurvature thereof being adapted to engage sections of the aperture tohold said housing member therein, and means for engaging saidlight-conducting means and along with said light-conducting means beinginsertable within the other end of said tubular member and securabletherein to maintain said light-conducting means within said tubularmember with an end of said lightconducting means directed toward saidlens means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,297,616 9/1942 Funk.

2,325, 621 8/ 1943 Miller 2,331,254 10/1943 West 340-381 2,705,3083/1955 Howard.

2,903,670 9/1959 Sitz.

2,906,810 9/ 1959 DAscoli.

2,948,773 8/1960 Hawes.

3,007,599 11/1961 Greasley.

3,092,360 6/1963 Cook et a1.

3,104,924 9/1963 Capel.

3,286,255 11/1966 Sanchez 340-4581 THOMAS A. ROBINSON, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

